For

Against

The days when a Blu-ray player merely spun discs and made tentative contact with the internet via BD Live, are long gone.

Decks like this Panasonic DMP-BDT220 are network connected in the truest sense, as happy to stream IPTV as they are to play the latest 3D Bu-ray releases.

The DMP-BDT220 is one five new 3D compatible BD players from Panasonic for 2012. It sits just above the entry-level DMP-BDT120, and below the more advanced DMP-BDT320 and the audiophile grade DMP-BDT500.

Joining it in the range is the oddball DMP-BBT01, a compact designer player not much bigger than a couple of Blu-ray cases.

Not that this model is carrying any surplus weight. It follows the full-width (430mm), half-depth (185mm) design which has become so popular with mainstream brands, and stands just 38mm tall.

One consequence of this half-deep design is that you can't sandwich it between other full-size 430mm components, it has to sit on top.